(VOXtra) - The Voice Arts™ Awards - a major competition encompassing dozens of categories for participants and types of work related to voice over - has added two categories to recognize the achievements of an entire career of a male and female voice actor.

Called Outstanding Body of Work by a male and by a female voice actor, the category entry can include up to five minutes of work covering at least three genres, such as commercial, animation, promo, narration, video games, etc. Multiple individual files may be entered; a single file of work is not required.

The categories have been added "to assure great work, done over one's career, will not be overlooked," explain the Award program sponsors.

But the final entry deadline for these and all categories is near: July 31. For details, please visit www.VoiceArts.org.

The Voice Arts Awards also announces that incomparable actor-voice talent James Earl Jones has been chosen to receive the Voice Arts™ Icon Award for his lifetime of achievement. Jones, of course, is the deep and authoritative "This is CNN" voice, as well as the menacing Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, and the wise father, Mufasa, in Disney's Lion King movies.

Winners of this year's competition will be announced and honored at the 1st Annual Voice Arts Awards Gala on November 9, as the kickoff event of the 5th Annual That's Voiceover, at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria (New York City), New York.